Tail stocks for milling machines



Feb. 7, 1961 MOEN 2,970,524

TAIL STOCKS FOR MILLING MACHINES Filed Dec. 10, 1954 2 She ets-Sheeh 1 IN V EN TOR.

Feb. 7, 1961 MOEN 2,970,524

TAIL STOCKS FOR MILLING MACHINES Filed Dec. 10, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

14 if? j0 i4l a 6/ 2 United States Patent TAIL STOCKS FOR MILLING MACHINES Erick Moen, 9400 Whitcomb, Detroit, Mich.

Filed Dec. 10, 1954, Ser. No. 474,326

3 Claims. (Cl. 90-23) My invention relates to the tail stock shown and described in my Patent No. 2,242,978, dated May 20, 1941, and deals with a number of improvements which make for greater efficiency and durability in the structure.

One object of the improved tail stock is to lend better support to the medial block which carries the upper mechanism of the tail stock by locating tie means for the guidance of the block in the side walls of the tail stock.

A further object is to include means in the support of the block for the more certain registration thereof with the support.

Another object is to provide a simple control for the seating of the cross-slide at any pointof its adjustment.

With the above objects in view, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the tail stock;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 5 is a view of the bottom of the block previously referred to as taken on the section line 5--5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the support for the block as seen from the section line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the base of the tail stock is indicated at 10, and the cross-slide movable in the same at 14. It is now evident that this crossslide is made with a square rib joint 14a instead of the dove-tail joint 15 employed in the patent referred to, the new joint offering greater resistance to creeping tendencies in directions longitudinally of the tail stock. The feed for the cross-slide 14 is substantially similar to that illustrated in the patent and therefore will require no further description.

It is noted that end spacers 35 were employed in the patent for the guidance of the vertically movable block 30, such spacers being held together by cross-bolts 34. In the novel embodiment, the spacers 35 have been abandoned as of doubtful durability, and a massive cross-bar 35a rising from the slide 14 substituted. The bolts 34 now pass through the side walls 31 and 32 of the tail stock. The rear bolt 34 passes through a massive back wall 35c and is held in fixed position by the same. However, since the frontal bolt 34 passes through the block 30, the side walls 31 and 32 are made with vertical slots 31a for the clearance of the frontal bolt 34 when the block is adjusted vertically. External plates 34a are retained by the securing nuts 34b of the frontal bolt 34 to keep dust and foreign matter out of the slots 31a. Tongue and groove joints 58 are provided for the sliding alinement of the block 30 between the side walls 31 i and 32. Nuts 34b must be loosened when the block 30 is to be adjusted vertically.

As noted in Figs. 3 and 5, the cross-bar 35a seats in a bottom cavity 3512 made in the block 30; and the back wall 350 rests on a platform 10a rising from the base 10 to supplement the bar 35a at the rear, so that the block 30 is now limited against longitudinal motion by the bar 35a and the back wall 350 and may be depended upon to rise and be lowered along a true path over a long period of time. Fig. 6 shows that the bar 35a is preferably secured to the slide 14 by dowel pins 35a; and this bar now forms a retainer for the feed shaft 41 which extends longitudinally in one side of the tail stock, such feed shaft being grooved as indicated at 35e and locked to the bar 35a by a pin 35;). As noted in Figs. 3 and 6, the feed shaft 41 is now geared to the vertical feed shaft 47 by means of spiral pinions 42a and 43a, making for a smoother feed than heretofore.

Fig. 6 shows the immediate construction of the horizontal feed shaft 41. It is noted that the same is divided longitudinally to define a frontal section 41a; and a center rod 41b projects from the section 41a into a bore 410 of the section 41, a set screw 41d serving to secure the two sections by its influence on the rod 41b. The pinion 42a is mounted on the rod 41b and has an annular face groove 42b opposite the shaft section 41. The later has a tubular stem 41c which is driven into the groove 42b of the pinion, whereby to make the same fast to the shaft, and the pinion 42a is keyed to the shaft 41, as indicated at 420 in Fig. 3.

The tail stock carries the usual center pin 12; and the lateral adjustment of the cross-slide 14 is quite short, as stated before, that is, only to secure the fine lateral adjustment of the center pin after the lateral position of the tail stock has been set or adjusted in the lathe or other machine which carries the tail stock. As the cross-slide 14 moves, it carries with it the assembly of the block 30, the side walls 31 and 32, the rear wall 35c, and the shaft 41; and such rear wall and platform 10a are made with facing horizontal recesses 35g and 10b permitting the lateral travel of the shaft 41 to the extent explained. The side Walls are braced at the rear by screws 60 driven through side wings 35d of the rear wall 35c. The rear end of the shaft carries a knob 41fshown broken away in Fig. 4for the rotary control of the shaft 41 in relation to a scale 41g, as seen in Fig. 4.

The position of the cross-slide is fixed by a bolt 53 which rises through the slide and the side wall 32 to receive a washer and nut 53a at its upper end. The lower end portion of the bolt passes through a cross-slot 53b made in the base 10, the cross-slot having an enlargement 530 at the bottom. The bolt has a head. 53d seating in the enlargement. When the cross-slide 14 is to be moved, it is only necessary to loosen the nut 53a slightly. The cross-slot 53b and enlargement 53c will now afford room for the limited lateral travel of the bolt. 53 during the adjustment of the cross-slide.

It is noted in Fig. 7 that the vertical shaft 47 rests in a ball bearing 65 contained in the slide 14. It is further noted that a bushing 30a carried by the block 30 for meshing with the vertical screw 43 is cut away at 67 to clear the shaft 41-41a. The remaining part is noted in Fig. 5 as being supported at the bottom by the head 70 of a screw 71 driven into the bottom of the block 30.

It will now be apparent that the improved tail stock embodies a novel structural and adjusting arrangement. The base 10 is merely a support, whereas the cross-slide 14 carries the assembly of the block 30,. the side walls 31 and 32, and the rear wall 35c which constitute the body of the tail stock. The assembly operates as a unit receiving a limited amount of transverse travel, this unit .ce tx n heme a ism o the sha '41 9. vertical, e 43a alongirrespective of the height of the block. Thus, while the control in the patent referred to above is em- Pl fid for shifting the cross-slide, the knob 41f may be usedhandily to adjust the height of the block 30 and center pin 12. Further, in case'ofany attention or repair in the zone of the shaft 41, the block 38; may be lifted by the operation of the knob 41) until it rises clear off the cross-slide and rear wall 350, in which event the shaft 41 and its journals will be in clear View and readily accessible, as willbe evident in Fig. 4. Further, the block'30 is slidable vertically between the side walls 31 and 32 of the tail stock, carrying the frontal cross-bolt 3.4 with it. However/the said walls are made with the vertical slots 31a to clear such cross-bolt; and the side platesf'34a serve to cover the slots to a partial or full extent in order to keep out dust. Finally, the tail stock is assembled compactly while'retaining its massive and adjustable construction. Whilf'I have described the invention along specific lines,'v'arious minor changes or refinements may be made therein without departing from its principle, and I reserve (the right to employ all such changes and refinements as may come Within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tail stock for milling machines comprising a base, a slide mounted in the same for transverse movement, a pair of laterally spaced side walls carried by the slide, .a block betweenthe walls and having means to engage a ate 4 the w rk ether eans o m v e block er i be: tween the Walls, a rear wall connecting said side walls, said other means originating with a longitudinal shaft extending in a similarly positioned bottom recess of the block, one bearing for said shaft being in said rear wall, and another bearing for such shaft comprising a crossmember carried by the slide and seating in a cross-branch of said recess.

2. The structure of claim 1, said base having a platform at the rear rising to meet said rear wall, said hearing having communicating sections in the rear wall and platform, and the section of the latter being widened to allow for the lateral travel of said rear wall on the crossfeed of the slide. A i

3. The structure of claim 1, cross-bolts between the side walls at the front and rear, the frontal cross-bolt op crating in vertical slots made in the side Walls when the block is moved vertically, and plates carried by said frontal cross-bolt on the outside of the side walls to cover said slots against entry' of dust.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 491,521 Boynton Feb. 14, 1893 1,873,895 Kirnbell Aug. 23, 1932 1,945,854 Hall Feb. 6, 1934 2,242,978 Moen May 20, 1941 2,285,753 Moen June 9, 1942 2,374,448 Moen Apr. 24, 1945 2,395,288 Miller Feb. 19, 1946 

